BogeyLounge

On August 12, 2008, Gilt Groupe, an invitation only sale for J. Lindeberg clothing will be taking place. Gilt Groupe is an invitation, private sale where items are severely discounted. I can't guarantee there will be golf threads there, but the last time there were a number of items that will have you looking like Jesper and Camillo. From their site:

Gilt Groupe provides access, by invitation only, to Men’s, Women’s and Children’s coveted fashion and luxury brands at prices up to 70% off retail. Each sale lasts 36 hours and features hand selected styles from a single designer.

BogeyLounge is happy to have a number of invitations to offer. Please leave your email in the comments if you'd like invited.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who has been ripped on at the office for wearing a polo shirt with a country club logo shirt to work. Maybe it's the fashion horse in me, but those comments have gotten to me. My friends over at Green Lobster have made my life a little easier.

Similar to the Polo horse and the Lacoste allegator (crocodile?), Green Lobster has a critter on it's polos (bet you can't guess what critter). Anyway, these are some of the best fitting polo shirts I've ever worn. I have three of them and lately my golf buddies have been teasing me for being sponsored by them.

Anyway, please visit their online shop and let me know if you have the same opinions.

I'm not sure I completely get this sticker, but regardless it appeals to me on some level.

BogeyMan's Note: We welcome Josh to the iLounge family and thank him for wasting his writing talents on our golf blog... By the looks of his first post, this may be a match made in heaven. We look forward to Josh helping us resurrect an old blog favortite.

I figure I'll start my innaugural post with BogeyLounge with a Golf Babe...sorta.

I stumbled across Shayna at the The Bachelor Guy's website and all I remember is the picture and this little bit of info:

"But when she's not on the beach, she loves to get out on the links and play some golf." So I figure it's applicable here.

When I created BogeyLounge it was all about golf babes and golf gear... and it was good.

So as I begin to work my way back to regular posting and giving this site some sorely needed TLC, it is only natural that I get the creative juices flowing with a BogeyLounge Site of the Day that honors nothing other than"golf babes".

This is a Flickr group called Golf Babes and it includes a ton of babe goodness in all sorts of golf states.

From fans in the gallery, to hotties inside the ropes, to those wonderfully cheeky booth babes at the PGA Merchandise Show.

Enjoy... as I muster up the energy to bring the Lounge back to its rightful place among the golf blog elite.

Link: Golf Babes [Flickr]

Tiger Woods told reporters last year at Oakmont, generally considered the toughest golf course in America, that no 10-handicapper could break 100. With Torrey Pines refurbished into a 7,643-yard “monster”—the longest in U.S. Open history—it served as a suitable stand-in for a challenge, hosted by Golf Digest magazine and NBC.

Tony Romo, Justin Timberlake, Matt Lauer and an essay contest winner (John Atkinson) played Torrey Pines today, under "US Open" conditions (wink... wink) and two of the three broke 100.

While I'm not so impressed that an NFL star had the athletic chops to break the century mark, I've got to say it is pretty impressive that pretty boy singer/dancer played the back tees at Torrey and lived to say he shot a 98.

At 100, Lauer's feat is also somewhat impressive, but I've got to wonder what he really thought he would shoot going into today. (I think he thought he could shoot at 85 and I'm probably right).

OK... Enough shenanigans... let's get to the pros and the already overhyped Tiger vs. Phil matchup.

Read more: Romo, Timberlake break 100 at Torrey Pines [Yahoo!]

Here are a few sites I'll be visiting during the next few days... Boy, it's hard to believe that the Masters is already here...

- Live Video and Scoring at the Official Site: Masters.org

- Tony is doing his normal great coverage over at "Hooked on Golf Blog"

- TV Listings at Golf.com

- Always one of my favorites during Masters week is Augusta.com

- Nice Leaderboard here at the PGATour's Masters Site

Must Reads: The Sand Trap | GolfBlogger | Golf Punk

Enjoy!

It's Masters time,so I couldn't stay away from posting. More on what I've been up to for the last few months later, but for now enjoy this great clip about the Masters Par 3 Contest.

See also: Live Masters Video Post

If a picture tells a thousand words, then the photo below of Paula Creamer doing a cartwheel in front of the famous Swilcan Bridge tells us that the girls are ready to rock the Royal and Ancient right out of St. Andrews.

St. Andrews, where until recently, a sign hung outside the clubhouse behind the 18th green that read, “No dogs or women allowed”, hosts the Women's British Open for the first time in history.

Links: A New Day at St. Andrews Golf Course [NY Times]

Old Course has some surprises for first Women's British Open [Herald Tribune]

Women's British Open host the Old Course at St. Andrews will be friendly to Ochoa - but it isn't for regular lady duffers [WorldGolf]

2007 Women's British Open Information [LPGA.com]

Like this post? Then you'll really like these...

Way back on March 9, 2005, I wrote: "She may be interested in photo shoots and improving her Q-rating but not at the expense of her golf. She's got game, and it looks like she's got heart... only time will tell if she can be a champion." [link: Gulbis: Calendar queen or golf ball-striking machine?]

That was in reference to Natalie Gulbis, who at the time was being compared to Anna Kournikova for being all show and no go.

Today, Natalie Broke through by winning her first LPGA Tour title at the Evian Masters with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff with Jang Jeong of South Korea on Sunday. Gulbis, who won $450,000, gave part of the credit for her win to a back injury two months ago that forced her to take a month off and make some adjustments.

Way to go Natalie! We knew you had it in you... Now that you're an LPGA winner, you can shoot as many swimsuit calendars as you wish and no one can complain.

Link: Masterful Gulbis [ESPN.com]

Golf's best selling training aid worldwide, David Leadbetter's SwingSetter can help you with the most important elements of the golf swing. Grip, Plane, Tempo and Release.

To purchase the Leadbetter SwingSetter or any of David's Training Aids: Click Here [Leadbetter Online Store]

This is a product I have used for over a year now and still think it is the single best way to get back on track or understand the basics of a proper golf swing. As regular readers know, I've always been a big fan of Leadbetter products, but the SwingSetter is my favorite. My wife could do without all the click-clacking, but it's an almost addictive feeling once you get into a nice groove.

In what is certainly the golfing opportunity of a lifetime, golfers (6 of them) will have the opportunity to get hands-on training from the godfather of golf instruction David Leadbetter.

As part of a promotion for the David Leadbetter Golf Academy location at the luxurious Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, David will host an exclusive six-person TWO-DAY RETREAT on Tuesday, August 21st and Wednesday, August 22nd of 2007.

The package (available to the first 6 students who reserve a spot) costs $5,000 and will cover all aspects of the game, including all areas of the short game. Extensive video and computer analysis will be utilized and instruction will be custom tailored to each individual's personal swing.

Each participant will receive a gift package, a specific plan for ongoing improvement on a personal take home DVD, lunch each day with David and his staff, and a five-star dinner experience on Tuesday, August 21st in the company of David Leadbetter.

This guy has tutored players to over a dozen major championships and more than 100 worldwide tour wins, so while $5,000 sounds steep it also sounds real intriguing.

Maybe Mrs. BogeyMan can consider it as an early 40th birthday present for her favorite hubby.

Link: Attention All Golfers [DavidLeadbetter.com]

Harrington (leading by a stroke) takes driver off the tee, puts two in the water and still wins the Open Championship.

Can we now please put Jean Van de Velde's meltdown to rest? The 18th at Carnoustie is tough and no lead is safe (sort of like Fenway Park), Harrington overcame a catastrophy and won, Van de Velde's was more of a circus, but not that much different from Harrington's.

Cheers to Padraig Harrington, 2007 Golf Champion!

Silly as this may sound, I was talking to friend at lunch yesterday about how I thought Sergio Garcia (who at the time had just finished up his second round and remained in the lead at -6) looked like he was serious about this week and that is was nice to see him in more mature looking apparel. "He finally looks like a golfer who could win a major", I said.

While I like the crazy and trendy look sported by some of the tour's younger players, it seems as though those guys never break through because they are worried more about style than substance.

So when Sergio comes out on the final day of a major wearing canary yellow from head to toe, I have to wonder how serious he can be taken or how serious he is taking himself... and sure enough after 5 holes he's already out of contention. Coincidence? I think not.

This morning, TNT shows Sergio warming up in this ridiculous outfit. Trendy, yes. Conducive to taking on the world's best and holding a lead at the Open Championship? Probably not.

I could be wrong (and I hope I am), but I think Sergio drops 6 shots and will be lucky to be at even after today's round.

UPDATE (11:30am) - OK, after nine holes Sergio is -2 and -8 for the tournament, so maybe my theory is wrong... or maybe it's because he's covered up those heinous red pants with black rain pants? Hmmm....

UPDATE (2:00pm) - Sergio stands atop the leaderboard 3 strokes ahead of Steve Stricker (who went an amazing -7 today). So much for my theory, but then again, he was wearing black rain pants all day that covered up the blood red pants.

What color will he show up with tomorrow. A simple black, white, brown or navy? Think again, I'm sure it will be a bright blue, green or maybe even pink? Cheers to Sergio... I hope he gets his first major tomorrow.

Here is the latest on TV times for British Open coverage
(all times eastern US):

Thursday (TNT 7am - 7pm)

Friday (TNT 7am - 7pm)

Saturday (TNT 7:00am-9:00am) (ABC 9:00am-2:30pm)

Sunday (TNT 6:00am-8:00am) (ABC 8:00am-1:30am)

It Open Time and we're looking forward to some high-def golf goodness on the telly.

There has been a sense, at least before the first official shot was struck, that this Carnoustie is a softer one than in 1999.

“Very fair,” said Jim Furyk, among the favorites this week.

2007 Open Championship Live Scoring [PGAtour.com]

Open Coverage: Golf.com | Golf Digest | ESPN |

Congrats to Tiger Woods and his wife on the birth of their daughter Sam Alexis Woods.

I don't know what it feels like to win the Masters but I do know that it can't top the feeling I have every morning when a look over my daughters crib and she looks up, recognizes me and lights up with a big smile.

Perspective will change for Tiger, but I don't think it will affect his golf in a negative way.

Tiger's comments (from TigerWoods.com) can be found after the jump.

Link: Tiger Woods' wife gives birth to first child - Reuters

Eye of the Tiger or Bad to the Bone? Tiger Woods and Aaron Baddeley will be the final group out in today's US Open, but will they be able to fend off Oakmont and the rest of the field and give us an unforgettable finish? Or will someone from the field emerge with a low score and then sit in the clubhouse and watch Tiger and Badds try and catch them?

One thing's for sure and that is that anything can happen. Enjoy the show...

More: Tiger flirts with near perfection but settles for 69 [PGA]

Baddeley leads, Woods stalks [NewsDay]

Woods coming on strong in U.S. Open [IHT]

Aaron Baddeley Leads the Open, but the Story Is Still Tiger Woods [AOL FanHouse]

Welcome to another fine golf blog!

I've add UK Golf Blog to our blogroll and invite any other golf blogs to write us in request of a link exchange. You can reach us at staff[at]ilounge.tv

Here's a little secret for our friends at UKgolfBlog... BogeyMan is secretly pulling for a Euro to take home the US Open. Hey, Tiger and Phil are getting on my nerves and if Ben Curtis can take home a Claret Jug than why not have a Dougherty or Poulter go home with whatever the US Open trophy is called?

I'm just saying.

Here's the TV Schedule for this week's Men's U.S. Open ... Tee 'em up and hit 'em well gentlemen!

Thursday
ESPN 10am-3pm
NBC 3pm-5pm
ESPN 5pm-7pm

Friday
ESPN 10am-3pm
NBC 3pm-5pm
ESPN 5pm-7pm

Saturday
NBC 1pm-7pm

Sunday
NBC 1pm-7pm

If an 18–hole playoff is necessary on Monday, ESPN will begin coverage at noon, with NBC picking up play at 2 p.m.

The Lounge has never had a problem with cat fights, but when the scuffle involves the first lady of golf (Annika Sorenstam) and the gonna-be-great Michelle Wie, we are inclined to look the other way.

This isn't the kind of controversy that raises interest and increases ratings... No, this is the kind of awkward situation that exposes the ugly side of professional sports - full of out-of-touch athletes parents, greedy agents and enabling sponsors.

Annika is no angel, but she has the results and history to back up what she says. Michelle Wie, on the other hand, continues to come off as an arrogant, immature and spoiled kid (which is expected of a 17-year-old).

The problem with Camp Wie isn't the star, it's the people who should be giving her guidance and helping her go from unpolished kid to adult professional. If her agent, father, mother, public relations handler and sponsors really cared about Michelle, they would hand her her ass after some the responses she has been giving the media regarding her latest controversy.

"I don't really feel like I have to apologize for anything. I just have to take care of my body and move forward and only think of positive things." - Michelle Wie

A recent internet search for the definition to "sideshow" rendered the following response: Sideshow - A diversion or spectacle that is incidental to a larger set of circumstances or a bigger issue of concern.

Is there a better way to describe Michelle Wie and what has quickly gone from a promising career to a letdown of biblical proportions?

Today, she withdrew after 16 holes with a +14 score... just a two more strokes over par and she would have been banned from LPGA tour events for a full year.

What is going on? Here are a few opinions.

1. Her parents are pushing her too hard.
2. Nike is pushing her too hard.
3. She is using the injury as a safety net for when she doesn't perform.
4. Deep down, she is rebelling against her pop by performing poorly.
5. She should go to college and continue to practice and come back in two years.
6. She should focus on dominating the LPGA before trying to prove anything else.
7. She needs to grow up but can't until number one stops being a factor.

I hope Michelle "recovers" in time for next week's LPGA Championship at Bulle Rock. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her during the event last year when she contended into the final day.

Michelle Wie still has the potential to become one of the greatest athletes we'll ever see. I just hope she doesn't have to reach rock bottom in order to get to the top.

I recently had the honour of playing a round with our very own Bogeyman. Don't let him fool you, he can play. With solid accurate tee shots and a decent putter he can be deadly. His irons let him down a bit when we played, but you could easily see the good golfer within.

The truth is that Bogey likes to place the occasional wager on a match and our game had no money involved. I think he was hoping that by playing worse than usual he would lure me into a wager, but I am half Scottish, and therefore quite fond of my money, I didn't bite. Now he had to finish the round poorly or look like he was trying to sucker me in.

Actually, I think he would have wanted to play better, we all do. The round was still fun. He is a gracious host, I traveled to him, and a very pleasant playing partner. If you ever get a chance to tee it up with him I recommend it. Although, if there is money involved I still think he will turn into Birdieman.

Michelle Wie's coach said a few weeks ago that she wouldn't play against men anymore, reasoning that she'd be better suited working on her game on the women's tour.

Now a sponsor has offered her cash to play against men, and she's jumping at it. The 17-year-old Wie will play in the John Deere Classic in July, making her eighth attempt to make the cut against men. So far, she's 0-for-7.

Wie's coach, David Leadbetter, said earlier this month that he had worked on convincing her parents that she's not ready to play men. "The thing I've tried to explain to them is that you have to work your way up the ladder," he said. Apparently that message didn't get through.

Link: Michelle Wie to Play Against Men in John Deere Classic [AOL Sports Blog]